Edition 1 is the first in a four-album series of collaborations between experimental dub trio King Midas Sound and other artists. For this one they team up with Austrian guitarist Fennesz, who specializes in shimmering beds of electronic drones that often walk a strange line between peaceful and anxious. It’s not the most obvious combination sonically, but you quickly recognize their shared interest in ambiguously ominous soundscapes.
Fans of the aggressive industrial-dancehall beats that King Midas Sound’s Kevin Martin produces as the Bug might be disappointed that rhythm plays a very small role in this project. Only occasionally do any drums or bass appear out of the haze of filtered static and synth pads, which puts the focus of the songs onto Roger Robinson and Kiki Hitomi’s fragile vocals. Isolation and heartbreak are frequent themes, but the swelling chords never resolve the way they would on conventional ballads, giving the listener no sense of relief.
The results are indisputably unique, but the project often feels more like a collection of intriguing experiments than a proper album.
Top track: Waves
